I got an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was simply delightful. It was exactly what I have come to expect from this author. I have read a few of her indie and traditionally published books and enjoyed them all.
Emily and Mark don’t hit it off right away but her mother insists that they are perfect for each other. So Emily decides she should fake dating Mark to make her mother happy. Mark agrees to go along with it. Emily is a writer and barista. She feels like her parents aren’t proud of her. She has four sisters and they are all married.
Mark comes across as the perfect Chinese son from everything her mother tells her about him. Emily is certain they won’t make a good couple.
Thing is, they start to hit it off. She finds herself liking him. He seems to like her. Soon fake dating becomes real. She is just terrified her mother is going to find out about the scam.
This book was well written. I enjoyed all the characters. I liked the shift in the second half to being able to see things from Mark’s point of view.
Well done. Five stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Inside the Shell 